Praise for volunteers working to improve Kirkcaldy's beauty spots

The group’s planting visits have been concentrated in the gardens over the past few months where they have been continuing to develop the stumpery close to the railway station, as well as working on bedding there and putting in sustainable planting.

Alice Soper, chairman of Growing Kirkcaldy, said the decision was made to create the stumpery in an overgrown corner of the Memorial Gardens has brightened up the entire area.

It is the result of a collaboration with Fife Council’s Parks and Open Spaces team and tree surgeons who found the logs needed for the area.

She said: “Growing Kirkcaldy volunteers have planted two flower beds in the Memorial Gardens with sustainable plants, many of which were donated to us – hopefully these will mature into healthy, colourful beds.

"Our parks and open spaces colleagues have also provided us with several hundred tulip bulbs which we planted into the four tiered planters on either side of the central path there – these are already flowering."

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Judith Kerr, secretary, said: “We did a lot of work on the stumpery over the winter including a path which goes round and through it.

"Elsewhere in the town the boys have weeded the three flower beds at the Bus Station and we intend to plant them as soon as we can and our beds at Bennochy and the bottom of Charlotte Street are developing.

“We hope to make the centre of the town quite colourful this summer.”

Alice continued: “We recycled the contents of our ‘temporary planters’ that were originally situated in Nicol Street and at the former Volvo Garage (now the Pure Gym) which provided small trees and shrubs and spring bulbs and have since added a range of other plants which we hope will provide a colourful corner all year round. Paths have been laid and we expect a donation of edging stones from other building work shortly to complete these.

“We have also maintained the flower bed at Bennochy Bridge which is also looking bright and colourful, planters and window boxes around the Town House.

“All of our planters and beds including those at the west end of the High Street, along the waterfront and the boat outside the Merchant’s House will continue to be maintained and we also plan to add to the central bed opposite Volunteers Green.”

Growing Kirkcaldy shares the cost of hanging baskets for the town centre with Fife Council and Kirkcaldy West Community Council, which has also supported the group financially for planting.

Growing Kirkcaldy has been trying hard to provide attractive displays and colour around the town centre and are proud to have raised their own funds as well as receiving plant donations.

Alice said: “We are also fortunate to have the support of the Community gardens group at Ravenscraig, but most of all, I have to thank our relatively small band of volunteers who share a pride in their town and work very hard to achieve so much.”

She added that new volunteers are always welcome to help and will be needed to water plants throughout the summer.

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